Future Tense
by Ruby Rosetta Red
Summary: There's a new detective at Major Case. One shot. Future Fic and probably AU too. Please read and rate. BA at the end.


A/N: One that came to me while i was writing something else. All errors are my one. My first BA and probably my last. All thoughts and reviews as always, appreciated. All errors are my own. The recognisable characters belong to Dick Wolf et al, the non recognisable ones are mine. Future Fic and pretty much AU.

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**Future Tense.**

He was aware that he was turning heads as he exited the elevator. He'd been teased all his life about it, that wherever he went, he attracted attention. It was a trait he'd inherited from his father and, like him, it didn't sit comfortably. His friends teased him about it, telling him he should be on a catwalk in some European city rather than starting his first day here. He didn't see it, this was all that he'd ever wanted to be, from the day he realised what his father did for a living. A slight smile curved his lips when he thought of him. He'd been his hero since before he could walk. His mom told him that as soon as he'd come through the door after a busy day at work, he'd sweep him up into his arms and carry him around their home talking to him and spending time with him and he had grown to love that special father-son time. His father had always been so tall, so vital and strong but there had been times when he would become so quiet, withdrawn and introspective. He never quite understood why that would happen and when he asked his mom, she would just shake her head and not say a word.

His dad pushed him to do well. He pushed all of them, his elder brother, and two sisters…one elder and one younger to do as well as they could but he wasn't ogre like in his demands. He held a parent's wish for his children to have a happier life, an easier existence than he'd had. And they all did well in their chosen paths. He remembered the look in his parents eyes when he told him what he wanted out of his life and his mom had muttered 'well I suppose one of them had to' to his dad and he'd just smiled.

He walked into the Bullpen and refused to feel overwhelmed. This was his first assignment and he was determined to succeed. The possibility of failure just wasn't an option. He took a deep breath, took in the sound of the ringing phones, the computers whirring and spitting out information and allowed himself to relax. This was the best fit for him, the only place where he had wanted to be. He'd graduated top of his class and had the pick of departments but this is where his heart lay, where he wanted to continue the tradition. Second-generation cop, that was who he was. Second-generation detective.

He tapped on the Captain's door and waited to be allowed entrance. He then went inside. His superior was Captain Wheeler. A female Captain at that. Once upon a time, according to his parents, a female captain was almost unheard of, these days it was much more common.

"Ah…Detective. Come in" she had to be in her late fifties, tall, thin with short red hair faded with grey. She stood up as he came in and he watched as her eyes rounded with surprise.

"You look…exactly… like your father…" she then caught herself and blushed. He straightened, used to this reaction but not from his Captain of all people.

"Captain?" he tilted his head slightly to one side enquiringly.

"I'm sorry Detective, that was…unprofessional of me" she apologised. He watched her take a deep breath and collect herself again.

"I knew your father…worked with him for a while before his retirement. How are your parents?" she enquired. He allowed himself to relax slightly.

"They're both very well ma'am"

"Does he still drive your mom nuts?" his eyes widened slightly and Captain Wheeler smiled.

"She used to say that after work, that was his goal in life"

"Then nothing has changed, he still has her tearing her hair out regularly," he confirmed with a smile in his voice.

"Glad to hear nothing has changed then" she commented and again he smiled.

There was a pause and the Captain seemed to be weighing him up.

"From all accounts, you specifically requested to be assigned here when you literally could've gone anywhere you wanted. Your grades certainly aspired to that. Any reasons why? Apart from the history?"

"I remember visiting my dad here when I was very little and loving the atmosphere. My parents loved it here, they never transferred out and I figured there had to be a reason why. Plus it's a much more cerebral type of atmosphere, and I like to think" Wheeler nodded, the apple definitely hadn't fallen far from the tree.

"You should fit in here very well, we're very lucky to have you. Your new partner will be here very shortly, in the meantime let me show you to your desk…"

Detective Tyler Goren followed his Captain out of her office and tried to ignore the looks he attracted. He knew what they were all thinking; he looked exactly like his father, yeah yeah. Well Matthew looked exactly like him too as did Ava and Francesca…all Goren's through and through although Francesca had inherited blue eyes rather than the brown eyes of their dad, his mom claiming them to be a maternal throwback. She was the one who cause their parents the worst headaches; she'd just graduated college and was intent on living the life of a starving actress. Tyler was certain that she and she alone was the reason why his dad's hair was that shade of silver.

His parents lived quietly these days. His mom enjoyed her retirement, spending time with her grandchildren and her youngest daughter when she wasn't trying her very last nerve. Dad did too for the most part though he did teach a criminal profiling class at Quantico two mornings a week. He said it helped to keep him mentally on his feet, his mom said it helped to keep him completely out from under hers.

Matthew was married with two young children, with a thriving medical practice in the city. His parents doted on Lily, their daughter in law as well as Robbie and Jessica, their two beloved grandchildren.

Ava was a hotshot criminal lawyer who had inherited her father's analytical brain and steel-trap mind. Her ability to hold onto information in that encyclopaedia he called her brain was a phenomena to be believed. She and her dad would get into it over cases on a regular basis. But underneath that professionalism, she was still very much a daddy's girl.

Francesca was the emotional one. She had a lot of her grandmother's spirit in her with the mercurial mood changes and the temper tantrums. He knew that his dad worried about her the most and he understood why…he knew about his grandmother's medical history and how much it haunted him still and of all of his children, she was the one he worried about.

* * *

He sighed when he saw the cars parked outside his parent's home. He should've expected this. It was his first day at Major Case; they would want to know how it went. He hadn't expected his entire family to be here.

"Hey sweetheart" he was barely over the doorstep when his mother claimed her first embrace. He smiled and returned her hug. It was bedlam already, he could hear Robbie and Jess, Francesca as always was emoting about something and he could hear his father's quiet, reasoning tones and he smiled to himself.

"How did it go?" his mom asked, taking his hand she led him into the kitchen. Dinner was cooking and it was quieter in here than out in the family room.

"It went well mom. It hasn't changed much from when you and dad were there"

"Ah, there he is" a second voice announced and Tyler turned his head as his dad came into view. His hair was silver now and there were fine lines around his eyes and his mouth. His dark brown eyes were still intense, still lively and they regarded him with avid interest. He came to his son and hugged him briefly.

"Everything okay?" he looked to him and his wife. She smiled.

"Relax, it went well" she assured him. He sighed.

"Good…good. And your captain?"

"Wheeler. She said she knew you, used to work with you" he watched his eyes widen in recognition before he glanced again at his wife.

"Wheeler's your Captain?" at his nod he saw him shake his head slowly.

"Damn I'm getting old. Yeah, I ...we...worked with her, a long time ago" he confirmed with a low sigh, scratching the back of his head.

"She sends her regards by the way, asked if you still drove mom nuts" at his look of surprise, his mom burst out laughing.

"I hope you told her yes" at Tyler's nod, she laughed some more.

* * *

Dinner was a success. For Tyler it was nice to see his whole family at the long kitchen table. He listened as they swapped stories of their day, listened to Ava discuss the finer points of a case with her dad who at the same time was watching Francesca as she made plans with her mother to shop for furniture for her new apartment.

A little later, his father was seated in the centre of the sofa with Robbie on one side and Jess on the other and he was reading to them from a big colourful picture book. They were enthralled in it and with him. He remembered being a kid and sitting on his lap with a similar picture book open in front of them and he would point at words and sound them out to him and listen as he tried to repeat them back. He smiled to himself. Even at his busiest, Robert Goren always tried to stay involved with his family.

A cell phone began to ring and immediately four sets of Goren children began searching theirs. It was Tyler who stood up, his ringing cell phone in his hand.

"It's me. I…I have to go" he answered the call and left the living room.

"Old memories" Alex Goren sighed. She went to the door, Bobby just behind her.

"New memories" he gently corrected.

**FIN**


End file.
